Recently, I received a lovely subscription box from Raw Spice Bar, because, well—spices! Gram for gram, spices and herbs pack more nutrition than any other food. Plus, when used in the right amounts, they help to create the most flavorful meals, making your taste buds and belly very happy. What's more, when you use more spice you need less salt. A little bit of salt can enhance the flavor of spices, but not much salt is needed to complement the spice. This Jamaican Jerk Tofu With Pineapple Salsa recipe demonstrates the power of spices beautifully!
Spices can transform your meals
This month I received a Jamaican Jerk salt free seasoning for rubs. Being vegan, my first thoughts were clearly not on meat, but, instead, all the veggies that would taste delicious with this rub! Jerk seasoning could make anything yummy—tofu, seitan, tempeh, mushrooms, eggplant, jackfruit and winter veggies.
Earlier in the week I purchased vibrant carrots from the local farmers market. To be honest, I'm not a big carrot fan, but, when cooked, they offer even more nutrition because of their high carotenoid content, so I try to add them to meals whenever possible. This was the perfect opportunity to use them.
The delightful aroma from cooking this meal lingered in my house for hours! Yesterday's weather in Atlanta was dreary and rainy, but the scent of jerk seasoning baking in the oven lifted our spirits and reminded us of island life (#dreams). The flavor was incredibly tasty, though a word of caution to those sensitive to heat and spice: it was around a 3.5 out of 5 on the spiciness scale.
You could easily use tempeh, seitan or jackfruit in place of the tofu and other root veggies like sweet potato, squash or parsnips. Experiment and have fun!
Jamaican Jerk Tofu With Pineapple Salsa Recipe
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Jamaican Jerk Tofu With Pineapple Salsa Ingredients
Tofu and Carrots
14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, pressed* and cut length-wise into 8–10 pieces*
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 (1 ounce) packet Raw Spice Bar Jamaican Jerk Seasoning or other store-bought jerk seasoning (or make your own! One ounce of dried seasoning is about 2 Tbsp.)
3 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
salt to taste
*To press the tofu: Wrap paper towels around the tofu, place it on a plate then place a heavy object on top like a few books or a cast iron pan to press out the water. I typically let it sit for 1-2 hours if there is time, but pressing for just 20 minutes works too!
Rice
2 cups cooked brown, red, wild, or black rice rice (I typically precook rice or other whole grain for the week and keep in the fridge to easily grab it for meals like this.)
1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil, or water for oil-free, to prevent sticking
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
squeeze 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
Salsa
1 cup pineapple, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup diced jalapeño (HEAT ALERT! Use 1/4 cup for extra spicy, 1-2 Tbsp for spice and no jalapeño for no spice.)
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
squeeze 1 lime
1/4 tsp salt
Directions for Jamaican Jerk Tofu With Pineapple Salsa
Tofu and Carrots
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Both the carrots and the tofu can fit on one large baking sheet.
Place the 8-10 pieces of tofu aside on a plate.
Place cut carrots in a medium bowl.
To a small bowl, add 3 tablespoons of oil and 2-4 tablespoons of water (or use all water for oil free). Add 2 tablespoons of Jamaican Jerk season to the liquid and mix.
Brush the jerk seasoning on both sides of the tofu, laying each slice on one side of the parchment-lined baking sheet once the sides are brushed. Make sure they don't overlap for even cooking. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, if desired.
Add the remaining jerk seasoning to the carrots and stir to coat the carrots. Spread the carrots evenly on the other side of the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little sea salt, if desired.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, turning the tofu over half way in between.
Salsa
While the tofu and carrots are baking, make the pineapple salsa.
In a medium size bowl, add all of the salsa ingredients, sprinkle a little sea salt (add to your liking by tasting the salsa. I added approximately 1/4 tsp salt.)
Set aside.
Rice
Heat a wok or stove top pan on medium heat.
Add a tablespoon of olive or avocado oil, or water for oil-free.
Add the rice, coconut and lime. Stir together and heat through for approximately 1–2 minutes.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Plate the dish: Divide the rice onto two plates. Top each plate of rice with tofu strips, carrots and pineapple salsa (feel free to get creative with how you top the rice!).
Enjoy!
Delicious and nutritious additions: Sautéed collard greens, mushrooms, cashews
Nutrition Information
Per serving (4 servings): 467 calories, 52 grams carbohydrates (44 grams net carbohydrates), 8 grams fiber, 18 grams protein, 20 grams fat, 406.5 milligrams sodium
Good source of vitamin B2, folate, vitamin E, vitamin K, iron
Excellent source of vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc